Peter Obi to leaders, aspirants: ‘Come out of your comfort zones, speak directly with the people’
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the country’s leaders and aspiring leaders to “leave their comfort zones and interface directly with the people they seek to serve,” insisting on the necessity to “speak directly with the people and listen to their feedback.”
Mr. Obi, who said these, according to a post on his X platform, at an interactive town hall meeting organized by the NDC for him and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Kaduna, stressed that “the very essence of democracy is people-centred governance.”
Just back from a tour of Europe and the United States of America (USA) where he engaged with different stakeholder groups, he said that after flying into Abuja on an Air Peace Airlines jet from London, he headed for Kaduna where he first visited the Sheikh Muhammad Sambo Memorial Islamic Institute, Rigachikun, Kaduna State.
He said he had visited the institution twice in the past and supported it in his own “little way” and was “very impressed by the level of progress the institution has made, particularly its approach to blending Islamic education with STEM subjects.
“This is the kind of holistic education that can equip our young people with both strong values and the knowledge and skills required to thrive in today’s world. My commitment remains to investing in education and healthcare, developing our human capital, creating opportunities, and lifting our people out of poverty.
“Every Nigerian, regardless of religion, ethnicity, region, or political affiliation, deserves to feel that this country belongs to them,” he noted.
Mr. Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, pointed out that the Town Hall meeting, which is a continuation of their engagements with citizens following the one they recently held in Port Harcourt, “again afforded us the opportunity to interact directly with our fellow citizens, listen to their concerns, answer their questions and hear their contributions on the critical issues facing our country today.”
He said they reassured those in attendance of their commitment to uniting the country, pulling people out of poverty, investing in healthcare and education, and aggressively tackling insecurity, so that people can safely return to their homes, communities and farms.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) also said that they equally “spoke about the need to address the endemic corruption and inefficiencies in the fuel subsidy regime, reduce the burden of fuel costs on Nigerians, and create an economy that supports our citizens to live decent and dignified lives in their own country.”
He thanked the leadership of the NDC and the organisers of the town hall for a job well done and congratulated the people of Kaduna State “for their renewed commitment to supporting a leadership that listens to and respects their concerns.”
